Railway-car.



5 0 9 1 4 1 R A M D E T N E T A P E. A. TRAPP.

RAILWAY GAR.

APELIOATION FILED NOV. 21,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S E S S E N U W ATTORNEY PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

E. A. TRAPP. RAILWAY OAR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 21,1904.

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

- ATTORNEY No. 784,817. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

E.A.TR.APP. RAILWAY UAR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 21,1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

i II

ATTORNEY No. 784.817. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905. E. A. TRAPP. RAILWAY GAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 v UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT ()rrrcn.

RAILWAY-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,817, dated March 14, 1905.

v Application filed November 21,1904. Serial No. 233,625.

To all whom it nan/y concern:

New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Uars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in railway-cars; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention has for its object to very materially increase the strength of cars, especially as to the floor or bottom and side construction, an d in its application to tank-cars to produce a car of increased strength and capacity.

My invention pertains more especially to steel cars; but a part of the invention may be utilized in cars whose sides are of usual wood construction or which have no sides at all.

7 one end of- Fig. 5.

In carrying out my invention I produce a new type of car of great durability and strength and in which the internal strains are resisted by arched steel plates properly secured.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a tank-car constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is adetached transverse sectional view of one upper corner of the car, showing the manner of securing the adjoining edges of the roof and side of the car. Fig. 3 is a detached transverse sectional view of one of the lower corners of a car, showing a modified construction of the joint at the meeting portions of the bottom and side of the car. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section, partly broken away, of the car presented in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the floor construction of a modified form of car embodying a part of my invention. Fig. 6 is a detached like view of Fig. 7is a vertical longitudinal section of same on the dotted line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. '8 is a vertical transverse section through a modified form of car embodying a part of my invention. Fig. 9 is a like section, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of a portion of same. Fig. 10 is a like section showing a slightly-modified construction of same. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view looking at one edge of the steel arch constituting a part of the floor construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse section through a modified form of car embodying a part of my invention. Fig. 13 is a top view of a portion of same; Fig. 14: is a vertical transverse section throughthe lower corner of the type of car presented in Fig. 12, but showing a modified construction of same. Fig. 15 is a vertical transverse section through a further modified construction of car em bracing a part of my invention, and Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the lower portion of a car utilizing a part of my invention.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4: represent a steel tankcar, the bottom, sides, ends, and top of the car being formed from steel plates brought together at their edges and securely riveted. The bottom 20 and sides 21 of the car are arched inwardly and preferably the top or roof 22 is arched upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper edges of the sides 21 of the car are flanged outwardly, as at 23, and engage the corresponding flanges 2 1, formed along the edges of the roof 22, and these flanges 23 24 are securely riveted together, the joint being external and easily accessible, which is a feature of advantage. The top or roof 22 of the car is provided with suitable relief-valves 25 of known character, and adjacent to said roof 22 the sides 21 of the car are connected together by suitable transverse T-irons or bars 26, Whose end portions turn downwardly and are securely riveted to the said sides 21, thereby materially strengthening the upper portions of the car-body against internal and external strains. The T-irons 26 also serve as supports for the iron braces 27, Fig. 1,which aid in supporting the roof of the car, said braces 27 being riveted at their upper ends to said roof and at their lower ends to the said T-irons or bars 26.

The sides 21 of the car are secured along the floor-line of the car between the longitudinal channel-beams 28 and the inner upturned longitudinal flanges 29, which are integral with the bottom 20 and are formed by merely bending upwardly the end portions of the plates of steel constituting the said bottom 20. Preferably the sheet-steel sides 21 will intermediate the trucks of the car extend downwardly, as at 30, thereby forming a longitudinal plategirder to increase the strength and resisting power of the car-body, the said girder 3O having its lower edges turned upwardly and riveted, as shown, for giving the same increased strength and rigidity. The sides 21 therefore consist of a series of inwardly-arched steel plates riveted together and at their upper edges riveted to the edges of the roof 22 and at their lower portions secured between the channel beams 28 and flanges 29, the said plates corresponding substantially with one another, except that those plates intermediate the vertical planes of the trucks are extended downwardly below the longitudinal beams 28 and constitute plate-girders 30.

The bottom 20 of the car is comprised of upwardly-arched steel plates riveted together at their edges and is centrally mounted upon the draw-beans 31, which extend lengthwise and centrally of the bottom of the car and are preferably in the form of channel-beams connected together by bolts. Below the bottom 20 of the car I provide a suitable number of transverse ll-beams 32, which are riveted to the draw-beams 31 and longitudinal channelbeams 28, and these beams 32 tie the opposite sides of the car together and lend strength and rigidity to the same. The bottom, sides, and top of the car are thus each formed of a series of sheet-steel plates properly riveted together at their edges, the said bottom and sides being arched inwardly, whereby the said parts are rendered capable of resisting to the maximum degree any strains exerted by the body of oil or other material carried by the car.

Within the body of the tank-car I provide a suitable number of transverse partitions 33, which, shown in Fig. 1, are in the form of sheet-steel plates, having angle-irons 34 riveted upon their opposite faces and on lines crossing each other, whereby a very rigid partition is produced without excessive weight of metal. The partitions 33 are recessed at the four corners of the car, as at 35, and at the lower central line of the car-floor, as at 36, the recesses 36 exposing the rivets along the line of the draw-beams 31 for inspection and repair as required and the corner-recesses 35 exposing the rivets along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of the car-body and being of sufficient size, more particularly the lower recesses 35, to permit of the passage of a workman through them, so that he may be enabled to reach all parts of the interior of the car-body. The partitions 33 are also formed with suitable apertures 37 for the passage of the oil through the partitions. The partitions 33 are at their upper edges riveted to the webs of the transverse bars 26 and at their sides and lower edges are riveted to angleirons 38, which are riveted to the sides and bottom of the car, as shown in Fig. 1, the said partitions being thus not only very rigid and durable in themselves, but being rigidly secured at their upper, lower, and side edges. The partitions 33 perform two duties, one being to add strength, rigidity, and resisting power to the car and the other being to take and dissipate the endwise thrusts of the body of oil which take place during sudden joltings or stoppages of the car and due to the body of oil continuing in motion toward the end of the car when the latter is suddenly arrested. The partitions 33 in a measure divide up the body of the oil, 'and any end thrustingof the oil due to the momentum of the latter is taken in part by said partitions, so that the maximum thrust of the body of oil is never in the present construction exerted against the end of the car-body. I provide the recesses and apertures in the partitions 33 not only for the purpose of permitting workmen to inspect and repair when necessary the joints along the meeting portions of the steel plates, but also to permit the oil to flow through the partitions, this being desirable not only during the filling and emptying of the cars, but also when due to a sudden stoppage of the car the momentum of the oil carries the body of the latter lengthwise of the car, it being my purpose that the partitions shall not constitute solid abutments against which the body of oil shall strike, but shall act to retard the movement of the body of oil and allow some of the oil to pass by them, whereby the oil is prevented from exerting its maximum force either against the partitions or against the ends or sides of the ear and, in fact, is dissipated or broken up withoutinjury to any part of the car. The ends also of the car are inwardly arched, as shown at 39 in Fig. 4, and the said ends are also formed of sheet-steel plates securely riveted at their edges to the bottom, sides, and top of the car, whereby said ends are possessed of great strength and resisting power and rendered capable of resisting any end thrusts from the body of oil.

The car hereinbefore described is primarily intended for carrying oil, and the car while possessing great strength and durability is also of advantage in respect of its outline in that the car having the inwardly-arche(.l bottom and sides has greatly-increased capacity over the ordinary cylindrical tank-cars.

In Fig. 3 1 indicate a slight modification of the joint at the lower longitudinal edges of the side of the car, this modification consisting in having. the upturned flange 29 of the bottom 20 intermediate the channel-beam 28 and the lower portion of the side 21 instead of having the lower portion of said side 21 intermediate said channel-beam and said flange 29, as shown in Fig. 1. forms of construction the riveted joints are exposed, so that leakage anywhere along them may be discovered and stopped.

In Fig. 5 I show a modified form of floor construction for a car embracing a portion of my invention, this modification consisting in part in providing a horizontal floor above the steel-plate arch 45, which is centrally mounted upon the draw-beams 46 and has its end portions properly connected by the transverse I- beams L7. The ends of the arched steel plate 45 turn upwardly between the exterior longitudinal channel-beams 18 and angle-irons 19 and are riveted between said beams and irons. bers extended inwardly, and upon these irons are secured suitable inverted-T beams 50, extended transversely of the car and having secured upon them the inner wooden flooring 51, the thickness of which is about equal to the depth of the web of said T-beams 50. Upon the inner flooring 51 is preferably placed a second wooden flooring 52. In order to deaden the sound, I place intermediate the arched plate 45 and the flooring (shown in Fig. 5) a filling 53,0f mohair, excelsior, or other suitable sound-deadening material. The main feature sought to be presented in Fig. 5 is the utilization of the arched steel-plate car-bottom in a car whose floor at its upper surface should be horizontal. The construction shown in Fig. 6 corresponds with that shown in Fig. 5, with the exception that I omit from Fig. 6 the sound-deadening material 53.

In Fig. 8 I show a modified embodiment of a portion of the invention, this modification consisting mainly in providing two arches in the floor construction of the car in lieu of the one arch presented in Fig. 5, and in Fig. 8 the two arches are indicated by the referencenumeral 5%, the ends of the arched plates being secured to the flanges of the longitudinal channel beams or chords 55 and longitudinal draw-beams 56. The beams 55 and 56 have seen red to them the transverse beams or swaybraces 57. The steel-plate sides 58 at their lower portions are secured between the beams 55 and channel-beams 59. Upon the arches 54:, beams 55, and draw-beams 56 are suitable transverse T-irons 60 to receive the wooden flooring 61, Fig. 9, in the manner hereinbefore described with respect to Figs. 5 and 6. The chords 55 and channel-beams 59 (shown in Figs. 8 and 9) may also be employed in a car employing the continuous arch spanning from one side edge to the other of the car, as illustrated in Fig. 10, in which I illustrate the continuous arch 62 extending above the drawbeams 56 and secured at its ends to the chords 55, the ends of the arch 62 being turned upwardly and riveted to said chords.

In all of the forms of'the invention, except in the tank-car construction, I prefer to form In either of these The irons 49 have their upper mem,

the edges of the arched-floor members with recesses 63, as shown in Fig. 11.

In Fig. 12 I illustrate the continuous archedfioor member 62 as extending over the drawbeams 56 and secured at its ends to I-beams 63, these I-beams being secured to sway-braces 57 and supporting inverted T-irons 50, upon which the horizontal flooring is placed in the manner described with respect to Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 12 is presented to indicatethat the arched-floor construction may be utilized in a car havinga wooden body portion. Fig. 13 is a top view of a portion of the car shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 illustrates amodified form of the structure shown in Fig. 12 in that in Fig. 1 1 I provide the floor structure with the plate-girder 30, (shown in Figs. 1 and 4,) this plate-girder being secured between inner and outer channel-beams 64c and increasing the strength of the car. Fig. 15 also presents the continuous floor-arch 62 as extending over the draw-beams 56; but in this instance I show a steel car having plane vertical sides whose lower portions extend downwardly between channel-beams 66 67 and constitute below the sway-braces 57 the plate-girders 30, extending lengthwise of the car. The ends of the arch 62 are riveted to the channels 66 67, and these channels are riveted together. the rivets extending through those portions of the sides of the car which are between said channels. The channel-beams 67 and arched plate 62 support inverted-T irons 50 for the wooden flooring, as described with respect to Fig. 5.

Fig. 16 diagrammatically illustrates the cartrueks and the plate-girder 30, hereinbefore described, this girder extending downwardly lengthwise of the sides of the car intermediate the trucks. As shown in Fig. 1 1, the girder 30 may be in one section separate from the material of the sides of the car-body, and, as shown in Figs. 1, at, and 15, the said girder maybe integralwith the sides of the car-body and preferably is so when said sides are made of steel plates. For a platform-car or a car having a wooden body, as shown in'Fig. 12, it is obvious that the girder 30 would naturally extend downwardly commencing with the floor-line of the car.

I present Figs. 5 to 16, inclusive, to indicate that my invention is not in every detail limited to the construction of a tank-car, although I desire herein to claim the tank-car shown in Fig. 1.

I believe that I am the first person to disclose a steel car having inwardly-arched bottom, sides, and ends whereby in tank-cars I secure the maximum carrying capacity coupled with great strength, efiiciency, and durability.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car having a floor structure compris- All ing upwardly-arched steel plates, longitudinal beams along the lower edge of the sides of the car to which the adjacent parts of said plates are secured, and vertical longitudinal plate-girders secured to said beams and extending below the same intermediate the cartrueks; substantially as set forth.

2. A car having a floor structure comprising upwardly-arched steel plates, longitudinal beams along the lower edges of the sides of the car to which the adjacent parts of said plates are secured, and vertical longitudinal plate-girders secured to said beams and extending below the same intermediate the cartrucks, the lower edges of said girders being folded upwardly; substantially as set forth.

3. A car having a floor structure comprising upwardly-arched steel plates, longitudinal central draw-beams, longitudinal beams along the lower edges of the sides of the car, and connecting transverse beams below said longitudinal beams, said arched plates being secured to said longitudinal beams; substantially as set forth.

4:. A car having a floor structure compris ing upwardly-arched steel plates, and longitudinal beams along the lower edges of the sides of the car, and said car also having steelplate sides, said sides and floor-plates being secured to said beams; substantially as set forth.

5. A car having a lioor structure comprising upwardly-arched steel plates, and longitudinal beams along the lower edges of the sides of the car, and said car also having steelplate sides, said sides and floor-plates being secured to said beams, and said sides being extended below said beams to form longitudinal plate-girders; substantially as set forth.

6. A car having sides composed of steel plates arched inwardly, a top, bottom and ends; substantially as set forth.

7. A car having sides composed of steel plates arched inwardly, a floor comprising steel plates arched upwardly, and a top and ends; substantially as set forth.

8. A car having sides composed of steel plates arched inwardly, and means secured to and connecting said plates within the car; substantially as set forth.

9. A car havingsides composed of inwardlyends and partition, the latter having openings for the passage of the oil by the same; substantially as set forth.

12. A steel tank-ear having the upwardlyarched bottom, inwardly arched sides, inwardly-arched ends, and a top; substantially as set forth.

A steel tank-car having the upwardlyarched bottom, in\vai'dly-arched sides, a top and ends, combined with a longitudinal drawbeam centrally below said bottom, longitudinal beams along the lower edges of said sides, and transverse connecting-beams below said longitudinal beams; substantially as set forth.

14. A steel tank-car having the upwardlyarched bottom, inwardly-arched sides, a top, ends, and a transverse partition connecting said sides and having openings for the passage of the oil by it, combined with a longitudinal draw-beam centrally below said bottom, longitudinal beams along the lower edges of said sides, and transverse connecting-beams below said longitudinal beams; substantially as set forth.

15. A car-body having metallic floor-framing provided With the longitudinal belly-plate girders extending downwardly between the trucks, the lower edges of said girders being folded upwardly; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 19th day of November, A. D. 1904.

EDlVARD A. TRAPP.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. O. GILL, ARTHUR MARION. 

